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Fun with Vandalism: The Illegal Street Art of Shepard Fairey and Banksy

Stephens, Sarah

Abstract Details

2006, MA, University of Cincinnati, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Art History.
“Street art” is a rather broad term encompassing a wide range of contemporary artistic practices and styles. This thesis addresses the work of two loosely classified “graffiti” artists, Shepard Fairey and Banksy, with a specific focus on the illegal nature of their artwork. Chapter one discusses previous artistic movements which serve as predecessors and inspiration to Fairey and Banksy, such as New York City’s graffiti boom of the 1970s, the décollage affichiste movement in postwar Europe, the Situationist International movement, and practices of institutional critique. The second and third chapters discuss Fairey’s OBEY campaign via his wheat paste posters and stickers, and Banksy’s stencil graffiti and museum interventions. By examining such pieces, I aim to show how their works constitute practices of institutional critique, which thereby represent a rejection of dominant cultural forces.
Kimberly Paice (Advisor)
74 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Stephens, S. (2006). Fun with Vandalism: The Illegal Street Art of Shepard Fairey and Banksy [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1148076772

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Stephens, Sarah. Fun with Vandalism: The Illegal Street Art of Shepard Fairey and Banksy. 2006. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1148076772.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Stephens, Sarah. "Fun with Vandalism: The Illegal Street Art of Shepard Fairey and Banksy." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1148076772

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)